rue."

"Oomah has no next of kin. He is alone in the world. He has neither
father, mother, sister, brother, wife nor child. Therefore the spirit of
vengeance will be cheated for there is no one to slay. There is no other
man in the tribe without family upon which revenge could fall."

"As I said before," Yaro admitted, "Choflo knows all things. He speaks
truly and wisely." Then turning, he muttered to himself, "But he is
determined to be rid of Oomah so that Wana, son of his sister may become
leader of the people."

"The magic arrow shall be prepared at once, for only by it can the
Black Phantom be slain; heed well my words, Oomah, and use no other. You
will depart at nightfall. A long trail and a hard one lies before you
with death waiting at the end for the loser."

All through the day Oomah moved as in a trance. The enormity of the
undertaking dazed him. Not that he feared the jungle or the hardships of
long wandering, for to pursue and to slay the beasts of the wilderness
was a part of his life. But, this was a mission of a different
character. The very existence of the whole tribe depended on him; and
more than that. If he failed, the whole earth, as he knew it, would be
laid waste; Tumwah would never stop his fiery onslaught until the Black
Phantom had been slain. Had not Choflo, who knew all things, said so?
Still, he could not but feel that the sorcerer had been at least to some
extent influenced by personal motives in interpreting the wishes of the
Great Spirit. Did Choflo hope that the quarry would kill him, or at
least elude him? In either event he would be out of the way. The whole
thing seemed very mysterious but he had no alternative but to obey.

Oomah was young, tall and strong. As he walked there was the rippling
play of well-formed muscle under his brown skin. His black eyes, set at
a slight angle somewhat like an Oriental's, glowed with the fire of
determination from under the heavy shock of hair that covered his head.

The women peeped out of the doorways as he passed, with looks akin to
veneration. Liked by all, the sacred mission on which he was about to
depart enhanced the esteem in which he had been held. And while their
eyes were filled with admiration, their hearts were full of pity and
sadness. For, with the coming of night Oomah would pass from among them
like the fading of a shadow when the sun sets.

Preparations were at once started for the parting feast. Hunters had
gone in quest o